Harrods

MINT Polo in the Park Returns to London in June

On June 3–5 MINT Polo in the Park, a three day celebration of international polo, will return to the grounds of London's famed Hurlingham Club on the banks of the river Thames. Model and polo player Jodie Kidd (above) helped found the event, which also includes posh entertainments such as a Veuve Clicquot Champagne Garden, a Harrods food court, several bars and a luxury shopping area, all with direct views of the polo field. Six teams each representing global cities will play in a new 'Round Robin' format over the three days, culminating with the Final and the presentation of the MINT Trophy on Sunday the 5th. The new "high-octane" format aims to "introduce the adrenaline fueled sport of polo to a new city audience, also making the sport faster and more exciting for TV and event spectators."

Tags: equestrian, Harrods, Hurlingham Club, Jodie Kidd, London, MINT Polo in the Park, polo, sports, UK

The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: The Classicist, Wealth

A recent decision by two venerable British brands to drop the Royal Warrants from their packaging has occasioned some hand-wringing in the UK over whether the much-coveted distinction has lost its lustre. The Classicist calls it a tempest in a Royal Doulton teacup; read on to find out why. Only three royals are entitled to grant warrants – the Queen of England, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales – to firms who supply their royal requisites for at least five years, though most warrant holders have ties to Britain's royal family dating back several decades or more. Of course, Prince William will one day be granting his own.

Holders of the Royal Warrant include many of our favorite luxury brands – Asprey, Aston Martin, Bentley, Barbour, Burberry, Fortnum & Mason, Gieves & Hawkes, Holland & Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, Laphroaig, Lock & Co., Swaine Adeney Brigg, Smythson, Tanqueray and Turnbull & Asser – along with a host of lesser names, such as After Eight mints and Jacob's Cream Crackers. It is the latter two that have now decided to do without their warrants – though no insult is intended to the royal family, as it was when former Harrods owner Mohamed al Fayed burned his last year. That coupled with the results of a new survey showing that only 13% of respondents thought that warrants make any difference have called their usefulness into question, the London Guardian reports.

However, "It's hard to say that interest in royal warrants is conclusively on the wane," Vicky Bullen, chief executive of Coley Porter Bell, tells the paper, "because there is no existing data with which to make a comparison. However, consumers' apparent indifference to the royal warrants has surprised us. We can only surmise there could be a number of factors at play." Said factors, Bullen says, include "that we live in a less deferential society in which the royal family enjoys less prestige and political support." That of course is not exactly new, though the upcoming Royal Wedding may give them a boost. [cont'd]

Gallery: Holders of the Royal Warrant

Tags: Asprey, Aston Martin, Barbour, Bentley, British royalty, Burberry, Fortnum and Mason, Harrods, Holland Holland, Hunter Boots, Jaguar, John Lobb, Johnnie Walker, Land Rover, luxury brands, Mohamed al Fayed, Prince of Wales, Prince William, Queen of England, royal family, Royal Warrant, Royal Wedding, royalty, Smythson, Swaine Adeney Brigg, Tanqueray, UK

Continue reading “The Classicist: Is the Royal Warrant Losing Its Lustre?”

Qatari Pagani Zonda Uno Listed for Sale at $2.3 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth

Qatari Pagani Zonda Uno Listed for Sale at $2.3 Million

A one-of-a-kind Pagani Zonda Uno custom-built for Qatar's royal family – the ones who recently paid $2 billion for Harrods – has been listed for sale in Italy via global online luxury marketplace JamesList for about $2.3 million. As my colleague Noah Joseph reported last summer, the supercar borrows elements from the exclusive Zonda Cinque and blends them with parts from the track-only Zonda R (see video below) for a truly unique creation. The 690-horsepower 7.3-liter V12 engine paired with plenty of carbon fiber make it a barely street-legal beast that burns fuel like mad but has lots of fun doing it. It's painted a pretty garish shade of turquoise like all the Qatari royal vehicles, including the Lamborghini they crashed back in November. We have no idea why they're selling this one but we somehow doubt it's because they need the cash.

Tags: carbon fiber, custom cars, Harrods, JamesList, Pagani, Pagani Zonda, Pagani Zonda Uno, Qatar, supercar, UAE

EXCLUSIVE: Former Harrods Owner Mohamed al Fayed Sells Off His Rolls & Ferrari Collection

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Auctions, The Classicist, Wealth

Last summer we reported that Mohamed al Fayed had sold famed London department store Harrods to Qatar's royal family for $2.2 billion. Now the ultra-rich businessman, equally well known as the father of the late Princess Diana's lover Dodi Fayed, is selling off his incredible car collection, featuring stunning custom classic Rolls-Royces, Ferraris and more. There are ten cars in all from al Fayed's collection starring in Bonhams' Paris sale of Motor Cars at the Grand Palais on Feb. 5 - chief among them being the 1965 Ferrari 330 GT 2+2 originally owned by John Lennon, expected to fetch up to $220,000, which we can now exclusively reveal comes from al Fayed's collection and was in fact owned by Dodi Fayed.

Next up are a remarkable pair of classic Rolls-Royce motorcars which al Fayed has refinished in custom Harrods Green livery, one with a royal pedigree. The 1963 Rolls-Royce Phantom V Limousine (above) was the property of H.R.H. Prince Edward, Duke of Kent until al Fayed acquired it in 1996, and is expected to fetch up to $200,000. The Duke of Kent's Rolls, which was originally painted black, still has its blue bullet lamp on the roof signifying Royal ownership. There's also a matching Harrods Green 1969 Rolls-Royce Phantom VI Limousine, estimated at up to $240,000. Read on for the full list of al Fayed's cars being offered for sale, including several other Ferraris:

Gallery: Mohamed al Fayed's Car Collection at Bonhams

Ex-Duke of Kent 1963 Rolls-Royce Phantom V

Tags: auctions, Bonhams, British royalty, classic cars, department store, Dodi Fayed, Ferrari, Harrods, London, mohamed+al+fayed, mohamedalfayed, Mohammed al Fayed, Paris, Princess Diana, Rolls-Royce, royalty, UK

Continue reading “EXCLUSIVE: Former Harrods Owner Mohamed al Fayed Sells Off His Rolls & Ferrari Collection”

Inside Abramovich's New $230 Million London Mega-Mansion

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth, Architecture & Design

Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich has purchased all nine luxury apartments in two adjoining buildings in London's posh Knightsbridge neighborhood and plans to transform them into a mega-mansion at a total cost of about $230 million. He aims to turn the 30,000-sq.-ft. eight-bedroom buildings, a historic property located next to famed department store Harrods and designed by renowned master builder Thomas Cubitt, who also designed parts of Buckingham Palace, into a high-tech luxury fortress with five above-ground stories and three underground levels, the London Daily Mail reports. The paper has obtained a schematic of the plans, above; most of the cost of the project will go towards the renovations.

"He wants a very plush interior in the style of high neoclassical Victorian to match the exterior," an insider tells the paper. "He's going to be very hands-on and there will be nothing minimalist about his taste. Inside will be all cornices, thick pile carpeting and heavy drapery." The plans call for six bedrooms two guest rooms all with en suite baths; a multicar garage with staff accommodation in a mews behind the main building; a cinema / entertainment room; an indoor swimming pool; a steam room and sauna; and a children's study and entertainment room. Abramovich has been patiently acquiring the flats in the buildings since the late '90s, the paper reveals, and just recently closed on the last one.

Source

Tags: abramovich, abramovich+london, abramovich+mansion, abramovichlondon, abramovichmansion, billionaire, estates, Harrods, Knightsbridge, London, mansion, Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaires, UK, wealth

Lexus Displays at Harrods for the Holidays

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Luxury Shopping

If you're a luxury shopper in London, Harrods is your destination for all manner of fashion, accessories, household items and more. Even luxury hybrids, thanks to a new display from Lexus.

Taking cues from Aston Martin, which displayed the Cygnet (another luxed-up Toyota) in the department store's window last month, Lexus has taken a four-window ground-level storefront display. The first window features the new CT 200h luxury hybrid, the second the RX 450h luxury hybrid crossover, the third highlights the Mark Levinson sound systems found in their cars, and the fourth is a branded lounge space.

Shoppers stopping by can check out the new cars, arrange a test drive or even place their order right there in the store. If you don't live in England, though, you can have a look in our high-resolution image gallery below.

Gallery: Lexus Windows at Harrods

Tags: ct 200h, harrods, lexus, lexus ct 200h, lexus rx 450h, rx 450h

Harrods 'Vintage Collection' Christmas Hamper

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

When it comes to Christmas few put together more appealing packages of edible necessities than Harrods. This year they have the usual variety of small to large hampers available but their top offering that's new for 2010 is the Vintage Collection. Inspired by their "Vintage Christmas" theme this year the hamper includes four bottles of wine/champagne plus a ham, salami, foie gras, smoked salmon, caviar, two cheeses, cocktail blinis, biscuits, and an olive wood board. It's not the most expensive hamper they've put together (i.e. last year's $7,500 Holiday Hamper) but if you like the idea of classic, tried and true goods you can't go wrong with a classic combination like this. £450

Source

Tags: christmas, christmas hamper, hamper, harrods, holiday shopping

Qatar Royal Crashes Lamborghini in London

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Qatar Royal Crashes Lamborghini in London

Back in August we told you about the Qatar royals' $2.5 million in customized baby blue supercars which were clamped by the cops in London outside Harrods, which they bought for $2.2 billion last spring. Now a member of Qatar's ruling Al-Thani clan has crashed one of them, the $550,000 Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce (above) in London as well. The car was nearly totaled at Hyde Park Corner after a high-speed chase involving a white BMW M5, which got the worst of it. "The BMW smashed into the central reservation, bounced off and then hit the Lamborghini," an eyewitness told the London Evening Standard. "Both cars were definitely traveling very fast." There were no injuries and no arrests following the incident, which came after most of the Arab playboys had taken their toys home again after a high octane summer. "We thought it was going to quieten down but it's picking up again," solicitor Bruce Beringer, who lives in the posh neighborhood, told the paper. "It's like a second season. We are kept up until 4 am because of the noise of these people revving their engines and racing down the street. These Bugattis and Ferraris make a huge amount of noise."

Tags: BMW, Bugatti, car crash, Ferrari, Harrods, Hyde Park, Lamborghini, London, Qatar, supercar, UAE, UK

The Answer To The Yearly Christmas Shopping Dilemma: What to Buy For That Millionaire Next Door --The Porsche Design/Harrods Advent Calendar

by Susan Kime (RSS feed) —

Those who have grown up with Christian traditions have seen Advent Calendars -- coming out prior to Thanksgiving, usually in stores and shops that want to get Christmas decor underway, sometimes even before Hallowe'en. Many of these calendars take the form of large rectangular cards with 24 "windows", one of which is opened every day during Advent. Each window opens to reveal an image, a poem, or part of a story such as the Nativity story itself. More elaborate Advent Calendars have a small gift concealed in each window, such as a toy or a chocolate item.

Advent (from the Latin word adventus meaning "coming") is a season observed in many Christian churches, a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas. It is the beginning of the Western liturgical year and commences on Advent Sunday. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before December 25th. This year, Advent begins on November 28th. And this year, the humble Advent Calendar idea has certainly received a new, high end interpretation ( see above) from the Porsche Design Group and Harrods of London. It costs $1,000,000 USD.

Tags: Harrods, Harrods Advent calendar 2010, Harrods Christmas, Porsche Design Studio, Porsche designed Advent calendar, Porsche designed Christmas Advent Calendar

Continue reading “The Answer To The Yearly Christmas Shopping Dilemma: What to Buy For That Millionaire Next Door --The Porsche Design/Harrods Advent Calendar”

Aston Martin Cygnet Unveiled at Harrods

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Luxury Shopping

If you're going to sell something luxurious in London, it had better be on display at Harrods. A veritable landmark of the English capital, Harrods has been around since 1849 and boasts over 360 departments on seven floors of upscale retail space.

Little wonder, then, that Aston Martin chose the department store to unveil the production-ready version of its upcoming Cygnet city car. Based on the Toyota iQ, the Cygnet upgrades with features that only Aston Martin could apply. The car goes into production in the new year, but is on display in a ground level window at Harrods until December 11.

Gallery: Aston Martin Cygnet at Harrods

Tags: aston, aston martin, aston martin cygnet, cygnet, department store, harrods, london

Harrod's to Open Luxury Hotel on Its Rooftop?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Luxury Shopping

Back in July we reported that following its $2.2 billion acquisition by Qatar's royal family in May, luxe department store Harrods has some heady expansion plans in the works. In addition to a new Shanghai branch the famed retail mecca is considering opening a luxury hotel on the rooftop of its landmarked London flagship (above) in Knightsbridge. Harrods managing director Michael Ward says the hotel scheme is one of a number of options being considered to maximize the brand's potential. "Are we looking at it? Yes. Have we considered it? Yes. Is it something we would do? No plans have been put forward but it is one of them," he tells Vogue UK. "There are a number of ideas of equal magnitude." If plans do go ahead, the hotel could mean Harrods' top floor, which currently houses childrenswear and its young fashion department, would be converted into a restaurant.

Tags: Harrods, hotel, London, luxury hotels, luxury shopping, Qatar, store, UAE, UK

Highland Park Announces the World's Oldest Island Single Malt

by Noah Joseph (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Spirits

Just what we needed: another reason to love Highland Park, and another way to spend our children's college funds on the much-lauded Orcadian single malt. This time Scotland's most northerly distillery has released what is being billed as the oldest island single malt ever produced. And at 50 years old, we have no reason to doubt it.

Distilled in 1960, Highland Park 50 is vatted from five refill oak casks and bottled at 44.8% ABV. The result is a rich mahogany color, with a tobacco nose and a rich and spicy flavor. The distillery contracted Scottish jeweler Maeve Gillies to design the bottle, which features an Orkney sandstone amulet set into the intricate sterling silver laid out in a design evocative of the famous rose window of the St Magnus Cathedral.

Sadly only 275 bottles will be produced, available initially exclusively at Harrods department store in London, after which it will be offered through other retailers. But don't go looking for a bottle at your local retailer, as the £10,000 MSRP is sure to keep out the riff-raff.

Source

Tags: harrods, highland park, highland park 50, maeve gillies, scotch, single malt, whisky

McLaren to Open Showroom in London's Luxe One Hyde Park

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Real Estate Developments, Architecture & Design

Famed British race-bred auto marque McLaren has announced plans for a luxurious new London showroom at the base of the posh One Hyde Park development, currently under construction between Harrods and Harvey Nichols in the swanky Knightsbridge neighborhood. The premises (rendering above) will serve as the flagship for the company to flog its wicked new $250,000 MP4-12C supercar, a carbon fiber rocket with a 600 hp twin-turbo V8 engine. One Hyde Park, designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners, is due to open in late October with the McLaren showroom slated to follow early next year. As well as its supercar, the showroom will display a selection of McLaren's Formula 1 race cars.

[via Auto Express]

Tags: British car, Formula 1, Harrods, Knightsbridge, London, McLaren, One Hyde Park, retail, showroom, supercar, UK

Qatari Royals' $2 Million Supercar Clamped Outside Harrods

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos, Wealth, Crimes and Misdemeanors

Back in May we reported that luxe landmark London department store Harrods had been sold to Qatar's royal family for more about $2.2 billion. The other day the super-rich royals arrived to check out their new acquisition in a fleet of exotic supercars, all painted the family's signature shade of turquoise. However, while inside the posh retail palace the London police slapped clamps on the illegally parked rides. Spotted by London's Daily Mail with the unsightly locks on their wheels was a Lamborghini Murcielago LP670-4 SuperVeloce, valued at about $550,000 (above left) and a bespoke specification Koenigsegg CCXR (above right), one of only six in the world, worth about $2 million. To get the vehicles unlocked the scofflaw sheikhs had to pay a release fee of £70 plus a fine of between £40 - £120 and complete a set of paperwork for each car.

[via LuxuryInsider]

Tags: department store, Harrods, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, London, Qatar, royal family, royalty, supercar, UAE

Harrods to Open in Shanghai?

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel

Following its $2.2 billion acquisition by Qatar's royal family in May, luxe landmark London department store Harrods is planning an expansion, starting with a new branch in Shanghai. Harrods, the largest and one of the most luxurious stores in the world, holds royal warrants from the likes of the Queen, the Queen Mother and the Prince of Wales. Its new owners have looked at various new locations and China seems to be winning out. "There are other areas of the world where we could operate profitably," Harrods' CEO Michael Ward tells Vogue UK. "China is the most probable but we would have to do a lot of work first." The number of Chinese visitors to the store is up 125 per cent this year, with an average spend of triple that of a U.S. customer.

Tags: China, department store, Harrods, London, Qatar, Queen of England, royal warrant, Shanghai, stores

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